Animals 2

When you walk around the streets and sidewalks of Salida, you begin to notice animals. Not just the deer in the park or birds on a wire, but small sculptures tucked away on porches and backyards. Or larger ones seeming to be fenced in.







Now this may be influenced by the town's commercial artists who hold forth in galleries. These shops exhibit a range of animal expressions from the iconic to the downright weird. All capture some sense of movement or wildness combined with playfulness.







What I find unique, though, is the way folks...well those at least in the downtown cluster of bungalows...express humor and spontaneity through these renditions of our fellow creatures.











Not that our friends on the wire take notice...but then they perhaps have interpretations of us hidden away in their nests.

Location:Salida

Boston Museum of Fine Art

Some of the warm rooms of the new wing for Art of the Americas embrace and usher the visitor into a 19th century display of art as it was, at that time, displayed. The rooms provide an early example of multitasking...after all, with so much to see, how does one see just one thing at a time?





On the above wall, it took a while to discover the central painting was by Bierstadt's Storm in the Mountains...which could be a riff on the Rocky Mountain landscapes he captured on canvas so well. But how to focus? You have to take your time.

And if you take your time you can discover all kinds of puns and juxtapositions in placement. For example, I was examining a wall of paintings while noting the sculpture in the room and then realized the contemporary scene was being captured in a frame directly opposite. Two visitors to the museum viewing the same sculpture from a somewhat different angle.





But, then, that is one of the qualities of art, the ability to surprise. On my way to the museum, I passed by the monumental open space that frames the First Church of Christ, Scientist. Public space...one of the great gifts that an institution or a city can give to the people...an openness that lifts the spirit after a time in the dark canyons made by streets and skyscrapers.




A poster noted an exhibit of sculptures placed around the portal of the church...I made a trek to see what was being shown...checking the various sites, finding nothing too striking. And, then, I happened to look up (am not sure what made me do so) and there on the bare limbs of the trees were
huge boulders.








The idea of boulders in trees was so unexpected....after laughing and examining the trees with a broad smile on my face, I searched for a "title" for this work, finally finding a small plaque which described the work as having "handmade boulders." Quite huge. Quite realistic. Such fun!

Nice to find artists (and curators) who can make us laugh.

Location:Boston

Grand Opening Woods Distillery, Salida, Colorado

Salida is a foodie, locavore town...eat and drink local. I went to buy some eggs at Ploughboy (they only accept cash, check or IOUs) and was informed that the eggs, previously from Center in the next valley over, were now produced In Town at a neighboring backyard just a few blocks over.


but the big news in town has been the opening of a local distillery...not to be confused with the local breweries, such as Elevation, located just over the line in neighboring Poncha Springs. Woods opened on March 2 to a throng of well wishers.























It was a family affair, parents with children, folks from the retired community, ski patrolers, business people, musicians, artists, snowboard riders, writers, and probably a few drunks from all or any of these categories.

So a new sign on 2nd Street...a new place to drop in besides the Dawn Cafe,





...a new label to show off in your liquor closet...





The gin, by the way, is excellent...using juniper berries from the mountains to the west of town....cheers!!!

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Location:Salida